hudson



No. 66,964. PATBNTED JULY 23'. 1867. W. S. HUDSON.

PISTON PACKING.

@uitrit gti-stra @anni @fitta W. S. HUDSON, OF PATERSON, `NEW JERSEY.

Leners Patent No. 66,964, daad July 23,1867.

. IMPROVEMENT IN PISTON-PAGKING.

ro ALL wHoM 1T MAY coNcnnN:

' Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. HUDSON, of Paterson, in the county of Passaic, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful'improvements in Packing Pistons; and I do hereby. declare that the following isa full and exact description thereof.- 1

My invention will serve for packing for pistons, for pumps, and for various other uses, but is intended more especially for the pistons of steam engines. I employ two kinds of packing-rings in combination. One kind' is set out and adjusted by screws or analogous mechanism; the other is set out or adjusted by the action `of the steam. v Y

d I will iirst describe what I consider me best means of carrying out my invention, and will afterwardsl designate the points which I believe to be new. The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a face view of my piston, a part. of the follower being removed to show the interior parts.

Figure 2 is an .edge view partly in section.

VFigui-e 3 is a section of a part, showing a modification in the construction.

iFigures 4, 5, and 6 represent another modification.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Tints are employed merely tc aid in distinguishing parts, and do not necessarily indicate material. The material of theparts may be cast iron andsteel.

Referring to figs. 1 to 3, A is the main body of the piston. A1 is the follower, a part bolted on the part A to make the framing or rigid portion ofthe piston complete. I3l Bz are steam-packed rings, having` the channels Izl b of less width than the said rings extending around under themJ which channels are connected by small holes a a, the channels under the ring Bl communicating with oneffac'e of the pist-on, and the channels under the ring B commdnicating with the other face. C is ast-out ring which is tightly clasped between the parts A and Al and l 1)'z ofthe piston, and which is adjustedby means of screws D and quite rigid springs, in fact the almost inexible parts E, which bear upon the interior face of the ring C, as represented. These parts are adjusted readily by nuts and jam-nuts, as represented. On taking oii` the follower A1, access is obtained to these nuts, so vthat the packing may be set out to any required extent with great nicety. The ring C is represented as divided only at one point; but it may have three or any other number of such divisions if preferred. Thejont is carefully defended against leakage of the steam at that point. The splicing piece is represented by G. The main body of this piece extends along inside of the ring C, and is exactly equal in width to the said ring. Two thin broad lips extend radially outward from the main body G, as indicated by Gr1 G2, and the ring C is recessed to receive these and to fit as accurately thereto as possible, a portion of the recess for each being made' each side of the joint. 'In other words, the lips G" Gr2 are let'into the two faces of the ring C, so as to b reakjoints therewith, and cover and protect the opening. The exterior edges of the lips G Gr2 are just flush with the exterior of the surface of the packing-ring C. The inner face of the splicing-piece G is extended inward at each end, as indicated by y g. 'These hooks or projections embrace the ends of the corresponding spring E, so that'the splicing-piece cannot move except to a very limited extent. f It follows that'the packingring cannot become displaced by turning around in the piston, even if it were not clamped firmly between the parts A and A.

Operation The diameters of the rigid parts A and A1 are necessarily a little less than the interior of the )cylinder in which they are to work. The main ring C is adjusted' readily-by m'eans of the nuts on the screws D until the packing-ring C just lls the interior of the cylinder. It is intended that this ring shall always traverse very nearly steam-tight, but not with such a pressure againstthe interior of the cylinder as could be fully relied on to prevent the passage of steam. Thus conditioned the ring C causes but avery slight friction. I have experimented with the construction on locomotives, and prefer to iit the ring C so that while it touches the interior of the cylinder all around, the movement of the piston shall be opposed so slightly by friction that c an be drawn forward and pushed backeasily by the hands. After this ring C has been thus nicely adjusted, the main body touching the cylinder all around and the lips G1 and Gr2 covering thejqint, and defending it against allowing a passage'of the steam, the parts A A.l are tightly drawn together se as to seize the two faces ofthe ring C and ofthe splicing-piece, and to hold it very firmly and steam-tight, so that no appreciable amount of steam can traverso across under this adjustable packing-ring. Thus conditioned the piston is set at work. As the steam is successively received, first on one side of the piston and then on the other, to impel it backwards and forwards, the steam-packed rings B B2 are alternately expanded by the pressure of thesteam beneath them. For example, the steam going on that side at full pressure'flows along through the holes a, and filling the groove bl and the small additional space within the ring B swells this ring outward so that it fits tightly against the interior of the cylinder. It thus covers and defends the very slightjoint or leak which might otherwise exist between the exterior of the adjustable ring C and the interior of the piston, and defends the piston against leakage, except, atthe very narrow space where the steam-packed ring Bl is divided. Precautions may be taken to defend this joint by a tongue or otherwise, but .I do not deem it necessary. The packing-ring C is so tight that the very small joint in the steam-packed ring B may be left undefended. The moment that the steam is exhausted from this side of the piston the pressure on the interior of the steam-packed ring B1 is reduced and the ring shrinks or diminishes its diameter. This movement need not take place, as will be well understood by steamv engineers, except to a very slight extent,l in order to practically reduce the friction between this and the interioriof the cylinder to arr inapprcciable amount. As the steam is received and discharged on the other side of the piston, the same effect occurs with the other steam-packed ring B2. Thus, as the-piston reciprocates in the cylinder under the action of the steam pressure, rst on one side and then on the other, the piston travels steam-'tight and with very little resistance, the stout adjustable ring, with its splicing-piece filling the cylinder, with a gentle .pressure against the interior, and the steam-packed rings B B2 alternately swelling and contracting to form an additional security against thc leakage of steam. v v

' It, will be observed that the adjustable ring C, with its splicing-piece, being set out and held firmly by means of the very great rigidity of the springs E, always holds the piston up in the centre of the cylinder.'

The steam-packed rings B`L B2 do not have to lift the piston at each movement to get into a central position'in the cylinder. It is always held there by the adjustable ring.

In order to avoid the possibility that the stili` springs E may become displaced Iso as not to perform their functions perfectly, I produce a small protection or support extending radially outward from the end of each, as indicated by e, and make a corresponding recess or groove extending aroundon -the inteior of the adjustable ring C, as indicated by c. Babbit metal or other soft metal may be used, as indicated by I, if desired.

The packing-ring C is'represented in the above-described figures asa single ring. It may be made in-rnany more'complex forms if desired. It may in fact be made n most, if not all, of the indefinite variety of modications in which adjustable `packings have been heretofore made, but I deem it important that it be not mounted in any manner which is very sensibly elastic. In other words, I wish it to be very rigid, nso that it shall not accommodate itself to any inequalities or tapering in the form orany increase in the size of the cylinder due to `wear or o ther causes.l It shall be sure to hold the centre of the piston very truthfullyin or extremely near to the axis of the cylinder.

Figure 3 represents a section ofv a modification of the packing which may be used with success. I In this gure H represents an interior ring, with its splicing piece adapted to apply within the'main ring C; Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent still further modifications, wherein the inner ring H is divided into parts and the splicingpiece is made to apply in-a space along the central joint.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim 4as new in the packing of pistons, and desireV to secure by LettersPatent, is as follows:

1. I claim the combination of the adjustable packing-ring C withorie or more steam-packed rings Bl B7, so as to operate together substantially as and for the purpose herein specilied.

2. I claim thegpar'ts A1 A2 oi' the piston adapted for clamping the adjustable ring C, as specified, in combination with steam-packed rings B1 Bz or their equivalents, as and for the purpose herein specified.

3. I claim, 'in combination with packing-rings arranged to operate substantially as herein specified, the projections q and piece E, adapted for holding the splicing-piece G-G GQ, and consequently the wh'ole adjustable ringlC against turningl around in the piston, substantially'as and-for 'the purpose herein set forth. V

W. S. HUDSON.

Witnesses:

W. C. DEY, l EMIL VossNAcK. 

